Monday, June 25, 2007

EU calls on Egypt to investigate election irregularities

On June 11 and 18, half of the 176 seats in the Shura Council, the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament, were up for election. According to Haaretz, one man was shot dead and four injured in clashes between supporters and rival candidates on June 11. For the full report on Haaretz.com , click here.

Eighty four of the 88 seats available were won by the National Democratic Party.

The Presidency of the European Union reported that it “takes note of the low turnout at these elections” and “regrets that there were reportedly widespread irregularities and acts of violence.” The Presidency also said that it “encourages the Egyptian authorities to investigate these occurrences thoroughly and to ensure that future elections are fair and democratic.”